


Officer Appraisal Time

by RogerStenning



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 12:18:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/622062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogerStenning/pseuds/RogerStenning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This FanFic was inspired in part by the 2010 Bujold Ficathon plot prompt "Ivan goes for his annual performance appraisal at work", and by the originally anonymous fic "Ship Duty", which later completed, reposted, and properly attributed as “Ship Duty”, by Miss_Lanyon, which featured Ivan and Byerly, and Bys' plan for Ivan to avoid ship duty...</p>
<p>This FanFic is set in the middle of that story, as Ivan faces his second (or is it third) Annual Staff Appraisal at the Imperial Service Headquarters...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Officer Appraisal Time

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ship Duty](https://archiveofourown.org/works/144957) by [miss_lanyon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_lanyon/pseuds/miss_lanyon). 



# Officer Appraisal time...

A Vorkosigan FanFic  
By Roger Stenning

Based on the characters, situations, and universe created, set, and owned by  
Lois McMaster Bujold. The contents of this story are for personal, non-commercial  
use only. Any use of Lois McMaster Bujold's copyrighted material or trademarks  
anywhere in this story should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights  
or trademarks. This disclaimer must remain as an integral part of this file.  
The material in this story may be used/abused by other FanFic authors, provided  
that credit is given where credit is due - "Turnabout is fair play"!  
  
Copyright 2010, Roger Stenning.  
  
This FanFic was inspired in part by the 2010 Bujold Ficathon plot prompt  
"Ivan goes for his annual performance appraisal at work",  
and by the originally anonymous fic ["Ship Duty"](http://access-fandom.dreamwidth.org/20136.html?thread=274600#cmt274600), which later completed,  
reposted, and properly attributed as [“Ship Duty”](144957), by [Miss_Lanyon](../users/miss_lanyon/pseuds/miss_lanyon),  
which featured Ivan and Byerly, and Bys' plan for Ivan to avoid ship duty...  
this FanFic is set in the middle of that story, as Ivan faces his second  
(or is it third) Annual Staff Appraisal at the Imperial Service Headquarters...  
  
*****

  
Commander Kiron Papadakis, the OIC (Officer In Command) of Operations section 4 at the Imperial Service headquarters, Vorbarr Sultana, picked up the printout of the almost completed _ISF 67-9_ Officer review form again, and, briefly glancing at the pensive-looking officer sat before his desk, read aloud....

 

> _Lt Lord Ivan Vorpatril is a recruiting poster. This is to say, were he in the recruiting Office, he'd look damned good to potential recruits into Imperial Service._   
>   
> _However, he is not. He is under my command, in IHQ OPS 4D. He is unquestionably a fine Watch-keeping officer, and good in his job. Indeed, he is filling a billet normally reserved for a Captain, not a Full Lieutenant, and very effective in his post he is, too._   
>   
> _He never makes the same mistake twice, and most times doesn't even make the first mistake, having seen in advance what kind of mess that could make from reading old office reports in the quiet hours (and thus making good use of his time by learning from the mistakes of others)._   
>   
> _He motivates his Junior Officers effectively, and advises them wisely enough: He does the same for his NCOs, and thankfully listens to the Sergeants and Master Chiefs when they have something handy to impart; indeed, his advice has helped no less than four JNCOs take and pass the Intermediate Career Commissioning Course, which speaks volumes on his ability to spot and select good personnel. I am led to believe that he shares this ability with his Cousin, Lt Lord Miles Vorkosigan (apparently a courier officer with ImpSec), with whom he also shares a surprisingly high security clearance level for an officer of his rank._   
>   
> _He tends, also, to be what I have been led to believe is now termed a "stealth officer" in his official duties: That is, he tries, and for the most part, succeeds, in ensuring that unless he wishes it otherwise, there is no wake left in his passing, hardly causing a ripple of discord in accomplishing his duties._   
>   
> _However, it is his off-hours that cause me the greatest concern. He has a tendency to seek out the company of questionable Vor-like romances (thankfully with the opposite sex), which inevitably lead to the typical "Crash and Burn" relationships we see of exo-atmosperic fighter pilots, not supposedly sensible and intelligent Vor-class Officers._   
>   
> _As a result, I have had to counsel Lt Lord Vorpatril on no less than three occasions in this reporting period. I will say that this is fully three times less the number of times than I had to counsel him over the last reporting period, and this could be viewed as a success, of sorts. Never the less, in each of his relationship crashes (normally immediately followed by one hell of a public potting and burn-up session at one of the more popular watering holes in Vorbarra Sultana), his performance tends to dip markedly, requiring performance counselling sessions, and this is not really the best use of his, or my, time._   
>   
> _In my view, despite the slight improvement in the maintenance of his personal life, Lt Lord Vorpatril desperately needs to fix his social life, or have it fixed through other means, before he is suitable for promotion to Captain._   
>   
> _A stint aboard a warship should help fix that, so I recommend that he be posted to the next available mid-sized billet as soon as practicable - preferably BEFORE the next major social calendar event on the Vor-Class calender._

  
Commander Papadakis sat back in his chair, and placed the paper at the centre of his very clear desk. It was obvious that he'd spent some time in clearing his calender for this review. Ivan sat a bit straighter. "So. Lieutenant. Is that a fair assessment of the last twelve months that you've experienced here? Or is there anything you'd like to add in your 'right of rebuttal' section?"

"Sir, no, sir. It's a very fair assessment, sir."  
  
"Really," drawled out Papadakis.  
  
 _Oh, crap. He knows about THAT?!_ Ivan thought, beginning to get a tad concerned.  
  
"So, the bits that I didn't put in, then, Lieutenant. How do you view my attention to those?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Don't 'Sir' me, young man. I may not have those three very important three letters in front of my name, but I'm just as observant as most other officers. Exactly how do you relate to, for example, Byerly Vorrutyer?"  
  
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand: He's no relation at all."  
  
"You've been spending a rather larger amount of your time with him than with other female dalliances of yours of late. Before you make a liar out of me on this form, is there something you'd like to tell me, perhaps?"  
  
 _God, he thinks I'm Gay?!_  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"If an enlisted man can think it up, do you not think I can as well? The rumours are all over Ops. Hell, if I've heard 'em, chances are they're about all over IHQ as well. I'm well aware of the 'Don't ask, Don't Tell' regs that the Emperor had us institute, but if you're going to pursue a relationship with a... ahem... another person of like mind, don't you think a little... care and attention to discretion should be the first order of business?"  
  
"Sorry sir, I'm not following you. Are you saying that the rumour mill is saying that I'm... otherwise polarised?"  
  
Papadakis grunted a laugh. "What a wonderfully put turn of phrase. Yes, that's exactly what it's saying. Frankly, I don't give a tinkers cuss if you make it out with sheep in your spare time, as long as it doesn't interfere with your duties. The problem is, now it's starting to, because of the rumour mill. Don't tell me you haven't noticed people going silent when you walk in the Ops office?"  
  
"I thought they were giving me a little space after Andrea Vorkas-"  
  
Papadakis interrupted him. "No. They weren't. Try again."  
  
"Oh, bugger."  
  
"Given the topic, I'd venture that wasn't the most appropriate of words, Lieutenant," Papadakis drawled again.  
  
Ivan coloured. "Sorry, sir." _He had such a way with his voice,_ thought Ivan. _I gotta remember how to use mine like that. it's VERY effective. Might even out-Miles Miles' own version..._  
  
"Look, I can guess that Vorrutyer is a friend of yours - at least of sorts, but given his very public reputation, you can understand that these rumours were bound to start. Can you, without my breaking the DADOT regs, tell me anything at all?"  
  
"It's exactly that and nothing more, sir. He's trying to give me advice and assistance on a couple of matters" _\- like my abject fear of small enclosed places, damn that grotesque clone clown -_ "and that's it, sir."  
  
"Matters"?  
  
Ivan snorted. "He seems to think of himself as a relationship counsellor. My last girlfriend left in a bit of a public manner, after all." _Ha! So bloody public it made the inside front cover of Vortattle monthly, dammit all to hell! Thanks a shedload, Andrea, you blasted witch!_  
  
Papadakis managed, very adroitly, to suppress a bark of laughter. He'd seen the magazine that itemised the young lady's perceived shortcomings of Vorpatril. Damned if she wouldn't make a good personnel officer, if she wanted to go through basic!  
  
"So there's no truth to the rumours, then?"  
  
"None at all, sir."  
  
Papadakis relaxed. He'd thought it an ugly rumour, but best to be safe than sorry. Last thing he wanted to do was step on the man's crank by accident, after all - and Vor or not, 'Otherwise Polarised Persons' - Good Lord, what an excellent phrase - tended not to last long on warships, despite the regs. "Then I'd see to it that they cease. How you manage that will, no doubt, be very interesting reading at your next review, I should imagine."  
  
Ivan's mind boggled at the thought.  
  
"Right, then, let's get the admin out the way. Sign here, here, and here, thumbprint here, and initials here and here. Oh, and while I think abut it, how are you getting on organising the Ops Barbecue this year, and are you actually bringing anyone?"  
  
Ivan sighed. It was going to be one of those days...

_FIN_

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted over on LJ (http://rogerstening.livejournal.com/3147.html), and certain well-justified comments regarding what goes on current military appraisal forms were made. Remember, however, that this story is set on Barrayar, where any political correctness in describing a person's shortcomings tends to get it self shot before breakfast, so I think you can forgive the way the ORF is written ;-)


End file.
